FAQs - Why is deepwater defined as 500 feet, when industry generally considers deepwater to be depths of more than 1500 feet?

The U.S. Government is aware that there are different depths for what is considered deep water. The "greater than 500 feet" standard is a bright line standard that is used by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Management for what constitutes deep water, and helped to inform BIS’s decision to use "greater than 500 feet" as part of the criteria in §746.5 of the EAR. For reference, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s, Bureau of Ocean Management outlines the criteria for what constitutes deep water here.